Librettist of Evita, Sir Tim Rice, was on BBC Radio 4 this morning talking about how, when a political play is performed, people often say that there has never been a more poignant time for its message. It is untrue, he said, because the messages are always relevant. While he was discussing another of his works, Chess, he could have been talking about Evita. A central theme of the musical is the political usage of celebrity personality cult, with the main roles being the iconic Eva Perón and Che Guevara. In a world of Trump, Putin and Kim Jong-un (to name but a few), it would seem that some 42 years after the original production the themes do indeed remain, as Sir Tim suggests, highly relevant. But does the music and narrative stand up to the test of time equally well?

Musically Evita has an advantage in this regard over earlier Lloyd Webber works, in that it is written in an already dated style. One of the opening numbers, On This Night of a Thousand Stars (ably performed by Oscar Balmaseda), is a mock of the clichéd tango that was already passé in sophisticated Buenos Aires by the late 1930’s. It works because it doesn’t take itself seriously. It also establishes a musical mode of tango and latin inspired music that conversely romanticises and nostalgically evokes an era in a far off exotic clime. If anything, what dates the music more is the 1970’s guitar and keyboard sounds, but these are fairly subtle and do not detract from the overall quality.

Of all Lloyd Webber’s musicals, for me, this is the one with the greatest number of top rate tunes. Ironically, for a show concerned with the cult of celebrity personality, those tunes are delivered by a cast who are not exactly household names. However, that should not put anyone off seeing this show, as although not big names they have huge talent.

Undoubted star of the show in the title role of Eva Perón is the sensational Madalena Alberto. I was entirely captivated by her performance. Her acting and singing were faultless and so engaging that when she was performing I often forgot about what else was happening on stage. She delivered brilliantly on all her numbers, mesmerizing in the obvious Don’t Cry For Me Argentina, but equally as spellbinding in You Must Love Me and her Lament. Her charismatic chemistry echoed Che, played by the fabulously ripped and Adonis-like Gian Marco Schiaretti, especially in High Flying Adored and Waltz for Eva and Che. Schiareeti’s smooth vocals were in contrast to the deeper resonance of Jeremy Secomb as General Perón, whose duet performance of I’d Be Surprisingly Good For You with Alberto was superb.

Most of the big tunes are performed by either Che, Perón or Eva, but there are two cameo performances in the roles of Magaldi and the unnamed ‘Mistress’. This second cameo, sung by Cristina Hoey, was absolutely enchanting, Her voice has a notable treble, making her vulnerability palpable and echoing the desperate isolation that the young Eva Duarte had had to come to terms with before turning the tables on her rivals.

The narrative of Evita is perhaps more difficult. It is historically specific and unfamiliar to most. Quality programme notes helped, though the main facilitator is the narrator character Che. For me, he was a little too obvious at times. He didn’t seamlessly emerge from a sinister omnipresence, lurking the shadows until his insight was called upon. Instead, he was rather full on. Schiaretti certainly made the most of his time in the spotlight. While I would have preferred a little more subtlety, I must concede that he excelled in linking the audience to the drama.

Given the strong cast performances and production values, this Evita suffered a little in terms of pace. It was all very slick, with entrances and exits, scene and set changes all carefully managed. However, it seemed a little rushed at times. On a couple of occasions new songs were begun while the audience had only just begun applauding the previous one. It is a fine balance, but timing is all important in theatre and I felt that the pace was sometimes a little unresponsive to the audience.

All told though, this was an excellent evening, and a show that continues with me afterwards as I think about the relevance of its themes, the beauty of its human story, and find myself inadvertently humming some of its great tunes.    ★★★★☆    Robert Gainer    21^st March 2018